13 New Disney Movies Your Family Will Want to See

This past weekend, Disney fans gathered for a larger D23 event weekend, which included the unveiling of some exciting new family films, dress up (of course), and a whole lot more fun. Though I have a general D23 membership (you just sign up for free online and get exclusive news, downloads and invites), I sadly didn’t make this amazing event. Fortunately I did get some intel from it that I’m sharing with you. Here are some brand new movies currently in production that I can’t wait to see, and I’m pretty sure at least one person in your family may be on the edge of their seat for.

1. Pete’s Dragon

U.S. Release Date: Aug. 12, 2016

Who: Elementary aged kiddos and up, likely

I adored this movie as a child and am thrilled to get to share it with my daughter on Aug. 12 ,2016! This version of Pete’s Dragon is said to be a re-imagining of the classic Disney tale about an orphan name named Pete and his best friend, who happens to be a dragon.

Dwayne Johnson surprised a D23 EXPO audience of about 8,000 people when he stepped out on stage to talk about his part as the mighty demi-god Maui in MOANA. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, Aladdin), and Producer Osnat Shurer (Oscar®-nominated Pixar shorts like One Man Band) revealed some gorgeous early test footage. While Tony®-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Grammy®-winning composer Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i combined their musical talents to share the tale of Moana, a teenager who sets out to prove herself a master wayfinder and honor her ancestors. A lot of people are really looking forward to this film, not only because “Dwayne The Rock Johnson” is in it, but because this is a Disney film that doesn’t have another European princess.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes MOANA, a sweeping, CG-animated comedy-adventure about a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors’ quest. Disney. All Rights Reserved.

3. Finding Dory

Walt Disney Pictures/PIXAR

U.S. Release Date: June 17, 2016

Who: Preschooler aged kiddos and up, I’m guessing

Finding Dory has been talked about for years and years —Everyone loved her character in Finding Nemo so much that Ellen DeGeneres began receiving messages begging her to be Dory in a squeal, and after a few years of anticipation, it became a reality. This latest film from the makers of Finding Nemo explores a bit more about who Dory is, where her family may be, and how she understand s Whale! Oscar®-winning Director Andrew Stanton, co-director Angus MacLane and Producer Lindsey Collins discussed Finding Dory a bit to the audience at D23: “In Finding Dory, we can expect to address the one emotionally open-ended issue that remained from the first movie: Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish with short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? Her issue has also given us the opportunity to travel to very different locations, on land and sea, and meet a variety of new sea creatures that expand the world of Nemo, Marlin and Dory,” explained Andrew. Ellen also took the D23 EXPO stage with Ed O’Neill (Modern Family), who lends his voice to Hank, a cantankerous octopus; Ty Burrell (Modern Family), the voice of Bailey, a misguided beluga whale; and Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who voices Destiny, a kind-hearted whale shark.

5. Toy Story 4

Composer Randy Newman of Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 and director John Lasseter of Toy Story 4 took part in “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, CA. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

U.S. Release Date: June 16, 2016

Who: Preschooler aged kiddos and up, I’m guessing

“I did not see this coming,” was definitely my first thought when hearing about the new Toy Story 4 movie. But learning that it has also been 20 years since the first one? Well that just made me feel incredibly old! Director John Lasseter (one of the founders of Toy Story) shared the “Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films” presentation stage with screenwriters Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, composer Randy Newman, Buzz, Woody, and Bo Peep to party it out in celebration of 20 years of Toy Story friendship and chat all things Toy Story 4. This next chapter in the Toy Story journey explores the friendship and love between Woody and Bo Peep that was hinted at in the very first movie.

Jack and the Beanstalk gets a makeover in the new film, GIGANTIC, which was presented by producer Dorothy McKim and director Nathan Greno during the D23 EXPO. “I always wanted to be part of the Disney legacy. I loved those classic stories brought to life— Snow White or Cinderella —in a way that made those films the definitive version for generations. I want to carry on that tradition by bringing Jack and the Beanstalk to modern audiences. We’re taking parts of the story we all remember and adding twists and turns, emotion and humor,” shared Nathan. This old tale with a new look is about a boy named Jack who loves adventure and finds a world of giants and meets a 60-foot tall 11-year-old girl named Inma, who he decides to go on a journey with to find her way home.

7. The Good Dinosaur

2015 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

U.S. Release Date: Nov. 25, 2015

Who: Preschooler aged kiddos and up, I’m guessing

The Good Dinosaur is about the travels of Arlo, a sheltered Apatosaurus who finds himself far from home, and Spot, Arlo’s human friend. The visuals in this movie are remarkable! “Arlo and Spot journey through a world that has been greatly inspired by the American Northwest. It is epic in scope, soul-enriching and simultaneously beautiful and treacherous. In this world, we meet up with a very special family of T-Rexes, who help Arlo find a way through his personal fears and ultimately teach Arlo what he’s truly made of,” shared Director Peter Sohn. See our free activity downloads, here!

8. Alice Through the Looking Glass

Walt Disney Pictures

U.S. Release Date: May 27, 2016

Who: Teens and up, I’m guessing

If you’re a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, grab your hats, tea cups, watches, and party wear because another one is coming out next year! With a similar cast as the first, and a few new faces (I’ll leave this a surprise), the film shares the story of how Alice must travel back in time to Underland and save the Mad hatter.

9. The Jungle Book

(L-R) Actors Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Neel Sethi and director Jon Favreau of The Jungle Book and President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production Sean Bailey took part today in “Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios” presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, CA. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

The Jungle Book is a classic children’s story that’s being re-imagined, similar to Pete’s Dragon. Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of candidates to play man-cub Mowgli; plus Oscar® winners Ben Kingsley, who helps bring panther-turned-mentor Bagheera to life, and Lupita Nyong’o, who lends her voice to the protective mother wolf Raksha joined on-stage to present the new vision for The Jungle Book. This all-new, live-action adventure shows Mowgli’s journey of self-discovery when he has to leave his home.

10. Zootopia

U.S. Release Date: March 4, 2016

Who: Elementary aged kids and up, depending on content

Ever wonder what the world would be like if humans didn’t exist? Zootopia is a humorous look at this idea.

I feel like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride has been hinting to this title for quite some time. Johnny Depp surprised the audience with his appearance on stage as Captain Jack Sparrow for the thrilling news about this newest addition to the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In this tale, Captain Salazar leads a group of ghost pirates out of the Devil’s Triangle to kill every pirate at sea, including Jack!

12. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens released a teaser trailer earlier in the year and it has been very well received! Everyone is anticipating this film, not only because it’s a Star Wars flick, but to see if there are any noticeable changes in the look, feel and story now that Disney owns Lucasfilm. Harrison Ford surprised the audience with his appearance, and the crowd cheered, it was a spectacular sight, it seems. Check out our exclusive kids activity pack, here!

Rogue One, a story about resistance fighters who set out to steal plans for the Death Star, is the very first of the standalone Star Wars stories to hit the big screen. It has commenced principal photography and was announced at D23, along with the names of who has been cast — Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Alan Tudyk, Mads Mikkelsen, and Donnie Yen.

Which movie are you most excited about seeing?

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Photos, copyright Walt Disney Pictures and PIXAR or Lucasfilm, used with permission/media use. Appropriate ages for film are based on guestimations without movie ratings to base them on and are not set in stone. Please wait for the movie ratings and form your own opinion based on your family’s values.

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Bay Area mommy and content creator, Shari Wargo Stamps has been writing, teaching and taking pictures for 15 years. She started Savvy Every Day in 2013 and officially launched the website in May 2014 to create a parenting website for parents who care about the environment, what they eat and who they support through purchases and donations. In 2018, Shari changed the Savvy Every Day name to Navigating Parenthood and began work as a postpartum doula and peer postpartum support person through NavigatingPostpartum.com.